The Heraclean Army Barracks
The Heraclean Army Barracks is a building that houses more than 100 soldiers-in-training every two years. The Barracks are the second most protected building in Heraclea, due to the fact that it is a training ground fo r soldiers. The building itself is built from stone brick and chiseled stone brick, hence, it can withstand strong attacks as well as devastating blows. The Heraclean flag sits on top of the Barracks, as a constant reminder that the motto of the Heraclean Army is "Strength, Unity and Loyalty" and that the soldiers are training to protect and serve the nation. The Barracks also provide a comprehensive training ground for the soldiers to train themselves for battle. The Barracks is the ultimate destination for a young man hoping to serve his country by protecting it. It will ultimately change any young man to a strong, powerful, well-skilled and motivated soldier, ready to do anything to protect Heraclea. Design and Use The building itself contains two levels, the first for the recruits and their squad leaders, and the second for the Lieutenants and the Generals. The first level consists of six dormitories which hold around 20 soldiers each. The recruits are split into their respective squads and are each assigned a bed and one chest. The squad leaders have their own room as well as their own chest. The second level is only for the higher ranked soldiers and any recruit seen on the second level without permission will be severely dealt with. The second level consists of the rooms of the lieutenants, the generals, and most importantly, High General Salvatore and the Minister of Defence, Mr Adolf Stalin. The rooms of the Squad Leaders are positioned directly infront of the rooms of the recruits, hence, any recruit trying to leave would have to go through the Squad Leader's room. All sides of the Barracks are protected by high walls such that no one would be able to break in easily, and there is only ONE entrance and exit into the Barracks. That entrance/exit is being monitored and protected 24/7. All members of the Ruling Elites are honoured 3-star generals. The Premier, Prince and Minister of Defense are honoured 4-star generals. The only 5-star general in the Empire is currently only HM King Lee Hong Xuan. Generals are only allowed to promote others with a lower rank than himself. The highest rank anyone can give is to his own level. Hence, any other 5-star general must be chosen by the King. Facilities The training grounds of the Barracks consist of different practice areas that are specifically designed to push soldiers to the edge of a certain trait. Archery Range The Archery Range is designed to train a soldier's accuracy, speed and dexterity, requiring them to not only hit the target but to do it in a short amount of time. Training Dummies There are also almost 40 training dummies lined up against the wall of Heraclea, for the soldiers to practice on. The training dummies test a soldier's strength, speed, and combat skills. The Squad Leaders and Lieutenants pay close attention to the soldier while he is in combat to be able to spot the flaws of the soldier. The Lieutenants also teach the soldiers how to positon themselves and fight in a way that would dish out maximum damage against the opponent. Parkour Course The main obstacle that most recruits have to deal with, is The Parkour Course. The Parkour Course is an obstacle course that trains most aspects of a soldier, strength, speed, dexterity, and most of all, Stamina. The Parkour Course is the ultimate test of all important aspects of a soldier in combat. The course consists of the typical Block Parkour, the more difficult Ladder Parkour and the most infuriating, Iron Bar Parkour. Whoever who manages to complete the course would have reached the goal of most recruits in the Barracks, not just a trained body, but a trained mind. The Arena Lastly, the most entertaining obstacle of the training grounds is none other than The Arena. The Arena is simply a fenced up one-against-one arena, where the soldiers are pit against Mobile Combat Dummies, real-life Mobs, and even one another. It is also in the Arena where the more confident soldiers challenge the Lieutenants and Generals to a fist fight or a sword fight. Both types challenge a soldier's hand-to-hand combat skills as well as his weaponry skills.